Walker570 Posted December 21, 2017 Report Share Posted December 21, 2017 It has been suggested that I put a piece on here to try and persuade everyone on here to get out as often as possible and kill grey squirrels. It would be interesting to see just how many we could remove from the countryside before the songbirds start to nest in the spring. I know that my small effort has resulted in an explosion of song birds in my wood and for all of you in areas where you still have reds then you will be doing them a great favour as well. Make a New Years resolution to destroy as many of these pests as possible, not only in Feb/March but through out the year. May I take this opportunity to wish you and your families a Happy Christmas, and a healthy, wealthy and successful New Year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mice! Posted December 21, 2017 Report Share Posted December 21, 2017 My thoughts on this are come the end of January once the game season has finished everyone have a weekend or two looking for greys, I imagine a great deal of good could be done for song birds and areas with red squirrels in places that have been unavailable due to not wanting to disturb peoples game birds. I realise grey squirrels might not be high on a lot of peoples list of priorities, so why not offer others the chance to shoot some if you know of areas where your seeing them, this way we might be able to try and peg them back before they get into full swing come spring. Merry Christmas let it snow Mice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisheruk Posted December 21, 2017 Report Share Posted December 21, 2017 I’m with you, but I go for year round. Different techniques at different times of the year and a thermal spotter is certainly very useful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted December 21, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2017 I appreciate there are a few of us that have a year round approach but the aim was to try and pull in some ground which is pretty well closed up due to game shooting for four months and understandable to a degree and either for those who are involved on these areas to make an effort or to open the area up to others. I have access to such an area and I use my common sense, find out what days the ground is being shot over and try and visit a couple of days after, then as often as I can in the off season. When you think how much pheasant food a squirrel can eat, surprising more effort is not made. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisheruk Posted December 21, 2017 Report Share Posted December 21, 2017 28 minutes ago, Walker570 said: I appreciate there are a few of us that have a year round approach but the aim was to try and pull in some ground which is pretty well closed up due to game shooting for four months and understandable to a degree and either for those who are involved on these areas to make an effort or to open the area up to others. I have access to such an area and I use my common sense, find out what days the ground is being shot over and try and visit a couple of days after, then as often as I can in the off season. When you think how much pheasant food a squirrel can eat, surprising more effort is not made. Yes I agree with you. Not just the amount of grain they eat but damage to the feeders as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newbie to this Posted December 21, 2017 Report Share Posted December 21, 2017 Would love to, but sadly don't have any permissions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mice! Posted December 22, 2017 Report Share Posted December 22, 2017 20 hours ago, Newbie to this said: Would love to, but sadly don't have any permissions. Hi newbie, might sound obvious but can you shoot in your garden with an air rifle? You will be surprised at how many you get coming to bird feeders, makes a big difference to the bird life in your garden ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newbie to this Posted December 22, 2017 Report Share Posted December 22, 2017 (edited) 11 minutes ago, Mice! said: Hi newbie, might sound obvious but can you shoot in your garden with an air rifle? You will be surprised at how many you get coming to bird feeders, makes a big difference to the bird life in your garden ? Not around my area, the only squirrels around here stick to the woods, would be nice. Edited December 22, 2017 by Newbie to this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
39TDS Posted December 22, 2017 Report Share Posted December 22, 2017 I have a squirrel problem that I have been largely ignoring. As a result of this thread I am going to make it my mission to sort them out. I did make a start last week and got one of them. I am going to set myself a target of 50 and see how it goes. Will keep tally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mice! Posted December 22, 2017 Report Share Posted December 22, 2017 2 hours ago, 39TDS said: I have a squirrel problem that I have been largely ignoring. As a result of this thread I am going to make it my mission to sort them out. I did make a start last week and got one of them. I am going to set myself a target of 50 and see how it goes. Will keep tally. Good man, imagine if everyone thinks the same for a few weeks or months, it would make a massive dent in there numbers, and if there not your bag get someone else to shoot them. ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisheruk Posted December 23, 2017 Report Share Posted December 23, 2017 8 hours ago, 39TDS said: I have a squirrel problem that I have been largely ignoring. As a result of this thread I am going to make it my mission to sort them out. I did make a start last week and got one of them. I am going to set myself a target of 50 and see how it goes. Will keep tally. Don’t forget to post your numbers on this thread in “Vermin Please List your GREY SQUIRREL KILLS for 2017 Here” Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R1nut Posted December 23, 2017 Report Share Posted December 23, 2017 I'll be watching this thread with interest, finally I have secured some shooting permission over woodland. Visited today to get an idea of the land and to position some feeders. Very much looking forward to going back to hopefully getting some greys. It's my first time trying for squizzers so a bit of a learning curve. An enjoyable walk though, had a robin following me watching what was going on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted December 23, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 23, 2017 22 hours ago, 39TDS said: I have a squirrel problem that I have been largely ignoring. As a result of this thread I am going to make it my mission to sort them out. I did make a start last week and got one of them. I am going to set myself a target of 50 and see how it goes. Will keep tally. That's the attitude we want. R1nut ..... A feeder or two does make a big difference. Walking and stalking is fun, but if you want numbers then you have to put in a feeder or two. Peanuts being favourite. I have four robins who immediately turn up and will hang around whilst I'm working in the wood even with a chainsaw. You can see why the old timers believed they were the souls of dead relatives. photo is of a simple feeder I made from some scrap stainless chimney pipe. It has a small access shute (2"x 2") and gets used heavily by birds which often queue up to use it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted December 23, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 23, 2017 ......an alternative if you can visit regularly or have a well enclosed garden, is a live catch cage. I modify and put a large peanut feeder at the back end. The little birds can enjoy it but if a grey or brown rat ...even had jays and magpies ..gets in then they feel the wrath of my 410 or air rifle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisheruk Posted December 23, 2017 Report Share Posted December 23, 2017 39 minutes ago, Walker570 said: ......an alternative if you can visit regularly or have a well enclosed garden, is a live catch cage. I modify and put a large peanut feeder at the back end. The little birds can enjoy it but if a grey or brown rat ...even had jays and magpies ..gets in then they feel the wrath of my 410 or air rifle. Hey I like that idea mate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R1nut Posted December 23, 2017 Report Share Posted December 23, 2017 Very good ideas. I like the chimney flue, a bit of skip dipping is on the cards I think!! To start with I was unsure the best approach, after reading walkers579's previous posts I thought I would try a feeder. All I could find were some catering size tins, like giant bean cans. Wire locked two together, a bit crude but hopefully it will be successful. Im giving peanuts mixed with whole maize a go, fingers crossed they find it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisheruk Posted December 23, 2017 Report Share Posted December 23, 2017 9 minutes ago, R1nut said: Very good ideas. I like the chimney flue, a bit of skip dipping is on the cards I think!! To start with I was unsure the best approach, after reading walkers579's previous posts I thought I would try a feeder. All I could find were some catering size tins, like giant bean cans. Wire locked two together, a bit crude but hopefully it will be successful. Im giving peanuts mixed with whole maize a go, fingers crossed they find it. I have tried peanuts and maize, all that happened was they chucked the maize on the ground and picked out the peanuts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted December 23, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 23, 2017 Note...there is one section cut out above the feeder in the cage. The smaller birds, blue and great tits, nuthatch, robin can slip in there and pick what they need. Great fun watching a woodpigeon doing head stands trying to reach them when the feeder is half empty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R1nut Posted December 23, 2017 Report Share Posted December 23, 2017 4 minutes ago, Fisheruk said: I have tried peanuts and maize, all that happened was they chucked the maize on the ground and picked out the peanuts Oh......... I have a 25kg bag of the yellow peas!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted December 23, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 23, 2017 Now they might work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotslad Posted December 23, 2017 Report Share Posted December 23, 2017 Must admit I'm not as experienced as many on here with greys as we never had them till recently. But the FT trapper boy reckons greys prefer straight maize, or at least that's wot he advises to bait the traps with and u tend to catch slightly fewer reds. (possibly if u never mixed the 2 they would just eat the maize, maize will be a good bit cheaper about 8-10 quid for 25kg while peanuts can be 35-40 quid) He also scatters some wild bird seed around the trap, reckons the squirrels will be attracted when they see birds feeding (possibly more important if ur constantly moving traps to new areas) Has anyone came up with a way to discourage Jays from entering the traps? Was catching quite a few last year almost as soon as u set the traps, I also was releasing them but not a great idea as they just went straight back into the traps (rightly or wrongly I quite like seeing jays about and don't think they do a massive amount of damage) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisheruk Posted December 23, 2017 Report Share Posted December 23, 2017 (edited) Red Squirrels only eat the tips of maize, whereas greys eat the whole kernel. 1 hour ago, scotslad said: Has anyone came up with a way to discourage Jays from entering the traps? Was catching quite a few last year almost as soon as u set the traps, I also was releasing them but not a great idea as they just went straight back into the traps (rightly or wrongly I quite like seeing jays about and don't think they do a massive amount of damage) Best discouragement is to shoot them. They certainly do a lot of damage to song bird breeding. They are equal if not worse than magpies at destroying small bird nests, eating eggs and chicks. Edited December 23, 2017 by Fisheruk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mice! Posted December 23, 2017 Report Share Posted December 23, 2017 3 hours ago, scotslad said: Must admit I'm not as experienced as many on here with greys as we never had them till recently. But the FT trapper boy reckons greys prefer straight maize, or at least that's wot he advises to bait the traps with and u tend to catch slightly fewer reds. (possibly if u never mixed the 2 they would just eat the maize, maize will be a good bit cheaper about 8-10 quid for 25kg while peanuts can be 35-40 quid) He also scatters some wild bird seed around the trap, reckons the squirrels will be attracted when they see birds feeding (possibly more important if ur constantly moving traps to new areas) Has anyone came up with a way to discourage Jays from entering the traps? Was catching quite a few last year almost as soon as u set the traps, I also was releasing them but not a great idea as they just went straight back into the traps (rightly or wrongly I quite like seeing jays about and don't think they do a massive amount of damage) something you could try on a few traps scotslad is restricting the access on the entrance of the trap, I would think squirrels will push through something like a purse net but I doubt the jays would, might stop me catching blackbirds as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted December 24, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 24, 2017 (edited) I've managed to find a way to discourage Jays from leaving the traps Watch a pair of jays work a hedgerow in the spring, if you don't believe they do a lot of damage. Any nest contents, eggs or chicks in that hedge, will be devastated. Edited December 24, 2017 by Walker570 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suburban shooter Posted December 25, 2017 Report Share Posted December 25, 2017 Scattering seed around the trap attracts the birds which lets the squirrels know that there is food there they also feel safe when birds are feeding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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